The Indianapolis Colts officially finished the 2019 season with a losing record and in third place in the AFC South. Before looking too much ahead to the offseason, we have to look back at what the season was.
Taking a look at the whole season, we must examine some of the players that stood out—both in a good way and in a bad way. Now, we see who were the biggest studs and the biggest duds from the 2019 season for the Colts:
STUD: RB Marlon Mack
Even with missing two games due to a broken hand, Mack was electric all season. Though he didn’t see a ton of work in the passing game, Mack joined the list of Colts running backs to finish with more than 1,000 rushing yards. He’s the ninth running back in Colts history to do so and it was the 21st time in franchise history a season ended with a 1,000-yard rusher.
Mack finished the season with 247 carries for 1,091 yards and eight touchdowns. He averaged 4.4 yards per carry and 77.9 rushing yards per game. With a commitment to the run, Mack truly thrived behind the Colts’ elite offensive line.
If Mack can put a full season together in 2020, there’s a chance he gets his first Pro Bowl.
DUD: QB Jacoby Brissett
Replacing Andrew Luck was an impossible task. Filling the shoes of an elite quarterback isn’t easy, but Brissett simply didn’t live up to the hype of being a top-15 quarterback. Though there were moments of promise, the entire season showed that Brissett isn’t the long-term answer under center at 27 years old.
The knee injury he suffered certainly played a part in his regression, but Brissett’s hot start came crashing down quickly. The splits for Brissett show a quarterback that regressed massively over the second half of the season.
Excluding the Steelers game, here are the splits for Brissett on the season:
| Completion % | Yards | Y/G | TD | INT | YPA | |
| First 6 Games | 65.1% | 1,388 | 231.3 | 14 | 3 | 6.74 |
| Final 8 Games | 56.8% | 1,495 | 186.9 | 4 | 3 | 6.33 |
We will have more on Brissett in the offseason, but it was truly a brutal second half for the quarterback leading the team in Luck’s absence.
STUD: DE Justin Houston
The Colts needed to add depth to their pass rush before the 2019 season and when the Chiefs cut ties with the veteran in Houston, general manager Chris Ballard was all over it. Signing Houston to a two-year deal, the 30-year-old was excellent from the edge.
While there were some that wondered if he would be able to make the transition to a 4-3 end, Houston silenced any doubters with a 10-sack season—the most he’s recorded since 2014.
The Colts pass rush has some young, promising pieces but the strength of the unit came from Houston.
DUD: DT Denico Autry
Following his strong 2018 season that saw him lead the Colts defense with 9.0 sacks, there was a lot of optimism that the pass rush would take a major step forward as Autry would work from the three-technique. However, the veteran rarely made an impact on opposing quarterbacks.
In 14 games, Autry finished with just 3.5 sacks, 4.0 tackles for loss and 11 quarterback hits. More than half of his sacks came in one game against the Tennessee Titans in Week 2. For a defense that is privy on getting home with the pass rush, the interior was supposed to be led by Autry.
Now, the Colts have to add more depth to the unit because they didn’t get much out of Autry—or Tyquan Lewis, but that’s an entirely different story.
STUD: LB Darius Leonard
Though he got off to a slow start and then missed three games with a concussion, Leonard proved that he is still one of the best linebackers in the entire league. He earned his first Pro Bowl nod and could be on his way to another All-Pro selection in 2019.
Upon return from his concussion in Week 7, Leonard put up a gaudy stat line. In those final 11 games, Leonard recorded 103 tackles (61 solo), 4.0 sacks, 6.0 tackles for loss and five interceptions.
The Maniac truly returned to form over the back half of the season and the defense was better off for it. Now, he will look to bounce back in 2020 with a fully healthy campaign entering Year 3.
DUD: RG Mark Glowinski
The Colts offensive line remained elite in 2019, paving the way to a top-7 rushing unit while allowing the 10th-fewest sacks in the NFL (32). Yet, there was still plenty of disappointment when it came to the play of Glowinski over the course of the season.
Where Glowinski’s struggles came were in pass protection. He struggled mightily against power rushes and speed rushers often found it easy to collapse the top of the pocket with an inside move. He simply wasn’t the same type of player as the one the Colts signed to a three-year extension.
He also made life harder on second-year right tackle Braden Smith, especially when it came to blocking twists and stunts.
STUD: LG Quenton Nelson
Another year, another Pro Bowl selection for Nelson. That’s going to be a common theme throughout his career and it is likely he earns another All-Pro nod as well. Nelson started all 16 games for the Colts in 2019 and got even better from his elite rookie season.
The Colts’ left side of the offensive line was incredibly productive throughout the campaign and not enough can be said about the impact of Nelson. From his improvements in pass protection to his nastiness and willingness to find work in the run game, the Colts truly have a gem on their hands.
Following his second season, the sky is truly the limit for Nelson.
DUD: K Adam Vinatieri
Beating a dead horse. The future Hall of Famer who is likely to be inducted into Canton on his first ballot had his worst season yet and one of the worst seasons for a kicker in NFL history. Some could blame it on injury but the struggles every week for the 47-year-old were a constant hindrance to the Colts.
It got to the point where the Colts had to work out a group of kickers two separate times throughout the season. He eventually ended his campaign on the injured reserve list after missed a combined 14 kicks.
Vinatieri will and should be a celebrated talent for his accomplishments throughout his career, but the 2019 season—one that could be his last—was a campaign he would soon like to forget.
STUD: LT Anthony Castonzo
One of the first orders of business the Colts must get done this offseason is signing Castonzo to an extension. Even if it is just a short two or three-year deal, Castonzo’s value to the offensive line has never been higher.
After what was arguably his best season, Castonzo was an elite left tackle blocking the blindside for Jacoby Brissett. The veteran leader on the offensive line, Castonzo played every single snap for the Colts during the 2019 season.
The Colts offensive line was truly an elite unit during the 2019 season, and it was led by the immaculate play of Castonzo.
